Celebrate National Potato Lovers Month!

Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are a healthy veggie that contain little fat or sodium. They are high in iron and potassium, containing almost twice the amount of potassium as bananas! Potassium helps lower blood pressure, and can even help reduce the risk of having a stroke. Potatoes are also a great source of complex carbohydrates and fiber. In fact, a baked potato with the skin on has just as much fiber as a 1/3 cup of oat bran – a terrific thing if you are trying to lower your cholesterol.

Potatoes make a great side dish if you are watching your weight. Just don’t load them down with piles of sour cream or butter and cheese, and stay away from French fries and scalloped potatoes. Microwave or steam your potatoes to retain their nutrients, then, top them with salsa, or low-fat cottage cheese. An average sized baked potato has about 145 calories.
 Avoid potatoes with any sprouts, discolorations, or green patches. Store potatoes in a cool, dark place (not in the refrigerator), and away from apples.

Potato Recipes
Celebrate National Potato Lovers Month and try these delicious recipes using potatoes!
Cowboy Potatoes      Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes     
Potato Bread Cheese Bites        Hash Brown Quiche       Potato Gratin

Cowboy Potatoes
Featured in Amado Territory Ranch Inn’s Cookbook, this hearty recipe is by Arleen Boyuls of Green Valley, Arizona.  Featuring a charming western-themed Bed & Breakfast Inn, Amado Territory Ranch Inn is a popular Southern Arizona destination, and an ideal location for weddings and group functions. 

2 to 4 Russet Potatoes, cube
1 pound bacon
1 white onion, cubed
Fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pint half & half (low fat milk can be substituted)

Cut up bacon and pan fry. Drain on paper towel. Remove part of the bacon grease and add cubed potatoes and onions. Sauté for a few minutes, season to taste.
Add some of the cooked bacon and mix with the potatoes and onions. Add half & half and stir. Sprinkle chopped parsley and the remaining bacon on top. Cover and lower heat, and simmer until done.

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
This yummy recipe is from the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum's Cookbook 'Homemade Cooking Good 'Nuff for Sharing'. Nestled on 55 acres of rolling farm ground in Vista, California; the museum preserves the early days of the American farm and rural community.

3 to 4 cups frozen ‘southern style’ hashbrowns or potatoes O’Brien
⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup onions, chopped
1 can cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, cubed

In 1 quart saucepan, cook onion until tender. Stir in soup and cream cheese cubes, cook, stirring constantly until smooth and hot.
In greases casserole dish, alternately layer frozen potatoes and hot cream sauce ending with a sauce layer. Cover and bake in preheated oven at 400° for 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Yields 4 - 5 servings.

Potato Bread Cheese Bites
Made with Potato Bread, these savory appetizers burst with flavor and are a trusted hit at parties and gatherings.

5 Slices Potato Bread
1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine
1/2 Block Gouda, Parmesan or Monterey Jack Cheese, sliced or grated
1 Bulb of Garlic, finely chopped
1 Green Onion, finely chopped
3-4 Button Mushrooms, thinly sliced
Black Olives, pitted and halved
Salsa

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl blend the butter, garlic and green onion. Spread the butter mixture on the potato bread slices. Cut the slices into 2 inch squares or triangles. Place the buttered bread pieces onto a pizza pan or lightly greased baking pan. Put a mushroom slice on each bread piece, and then smother with cheese. Top the slices with an olive. Bake for about 5 minutes - until the cheese has melted and the pieces begin to crisp. Then broil until golden brown. Serve on a platter with a bowl of salsa as an optional topping. Serves 5.


Hash Brown Quiche
This great breakfast recipe comes from by Lynn & Del Mottaz, owners of Meadows Bed & Breakfast Services. Together, at their workshops and seminars, they teach aspiring Innkeepers and Inn sitters the 'behind-the-scene' details of the Bed & Breakfast industry.

24 ounces frozen hash browns – thawed
⅓ cup butter or margarine – melted
1 cup lightly packed shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup lightly packed Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup diced cooked ham
½ cup half and half (or milk)
2 eggs
¼ tsp seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Press thawed potatoes firmly into buttered pie pan. Brush with melted butter. Bake this 20 min. at 425. Remove and refrigerate until the morning.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss cheeses with ham and spread over the crust. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pour over the cheese mixture. Bake 350 for 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean. For 4 people use 4 eggs and ¾ tsp. salt.

Potato Gratin
This tasty recipe is from Strawberry Creek Inn, a serene Bed& Breakfast retreat nestled in the rustic mountain beauty of Idyllwild, California.

2 lbs. potatoes (Yukon Gold or other waxy potato), unpeeled
1 ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 oz. apple wood smoked ham, cut into bite-size pieces (smoked turkey also works, or omit meat altogether for a vegetarian version)
1 tbs. cornstarch or arrowroot
2 cups whole milk
4 tsp Dijon mustard
8 drops Tabasco sauce
4 tbs unsalted butter
6 oz to 1 cup chopped fresh chives
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 12-inch oval gratin dish, or six individual (10-12-inch) ramekins.
Cut the potatoes into disks no more than ¼-inch thick (use a mandoline or the slicer blade on a food processor).
Place half the potatoes on the bottom of the dish, arranging them around the edge of the dish in concentric circles (like roof shingles, with the edge of one slice at the center of the previous one). If they don’t cover the center of the dish completely, add one or two more slices to cover the dish.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Sprinkle with about 1/3 of the cheese.
Arrange ham on top, spreading evenly throughout dish. Sprinkle ½ of the chives on top.
Place the remaining potatoes in another layer, overlapping as before. Sprinkle again with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese.
Add cornstarch to the milk in a large bowl and whisk until dissolved.
Stir in mustard until thoroughly blended. Add Tabasco sauce.
Pour the mixture evenly over the potatoes. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot over the top.
Bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife and the top is deep golden brown, about 1 hour.
Sprinkle with the rest of the chives and serve hot. Serves 6